Railway-rail joint.



No. 645,404'. Patented Mar. I3, |900. E. M. McvlcKEn.

RAILWAY RAIL JOINT.

(Application led'Jan. 22, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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Wwf/@W UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

EMERY M. MCVIOKER, OF ,MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN.

RAILWAY-RAIL. JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,404, dated March 13, 1900.

Original application filed Septembery 29, 1899) Serial No. 732 .052. Divided and this application filed January 22,1900. Serial No. 2,409. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EMERY M. MCVICKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Rail Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to rail-joints in which the rail ends are united by the fusion therewith of molten metal.

The main objects of the invention are to avoid the necessity of raising the rail ends or of cutting away the ties for the purpose of forming the joints and generally to facilitate and improve the construction of this class of rail-joints. l

Heretofore in the construction of such railjoints, whether made by forming the joints entirely of molten metal in removable molds or partially of molten metalin metal sleeves or supports which become a part of the j oints,the molten metal, the sleeve or support, or both, has been made to pass below and embrace the base of the rails, thereby in many cases necessitating the elevation of the rail ends or cutting away the ties to form the joints. In the construction of joints in which have been used the metal sleeves or supports for holding the rail ends in place and containing the molten metal while fusion is effected, such sleeves or supports constituting permanent parts of the joints have invariably been made to pass below and embrace the base of the rails and have necessarily been made comparatively heavy, thereby either increasing the size and weight of the joints or reducing the relative volume of molten metal by which fusion of the joints is effected. By my improved construction the difficulties and objections above mentioned are avoided.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which show in various stages of construction a rail-joint embodying my invention and in which like parts are designated by the same letters, Figure l is a vertical cross-section of the mold as prepared for pouring the molten metal which enters into the construction of the joint. Fig. 2 is a similar section of a iinished joint; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mold as applied to the ends of adjoining rails, the banking of sand or dirt shown in Fig. l being omitted.

In the construction of a rail-joint according to my invention two plates A A', which are preferably made of comparatively thin wrought metal, such as steel or wrought-iron, are fitted at the ends to the sides of the rails B B, as shown in Figs. l and 3, the rail ends having been first cleaned by a sand-blast or other means to insure fusion of the molten metal therewith. These plates are curved or bent outwardly and preferably project for a portion of their length beyond the baSe-Iianges b of the rails, thus leaving openings between them and said flanges. These openings are closed by sand, dirt, clay, or other suitable material, which, with the plates A A' and the rails, form two cavities or receptacles, one on each side of the rails, adjacent to their meeting ends, and both open at the top adjacent to the rail-heads b. The lower edges of the plates A A may be bent or curved inwardly to completely or partially close the space between them and the base-angcs of the rails. Said plates are secured to the sides of the rails and are held in place during the construction of the joint by any suitable meansas, for example, by a clamp C and a wedge D. That portion of the lower edge of each plate which projects outside of the base-flanges b of the rails preferably extends downwardly to about the plane of the rail-base. The outside plate A extends upwardly to about the level of the top or tread of the rail-heads b', while the inside plate A terminates at its upper edge below the top or tread of the railheads, so as to be cleared by the wheeliianges. The cracks or joints between said plates and the rails are luted-with clay, and

the molds thus formed are preferably banked on the outside with sand, dirt, or other suitable material, as shown in Fig. l. This banking not only assists in holding the plates in place, but also prevents the escape of heat and tends to produce a more effective fusion of the molten metal with said plates and with the rails. When the retaining and reinforcing plates have been arranged and the molds ICO prepared as above explained, molten metal is poured into the cavities or receptacles on both sides of the rails and fuses with both the rails and said plates, which thus become a permanent part of the rail-joints, as shown in Fig. 2, reinforcing and strengthening the cast metal by which the fusion is effected, and the several part-s are united and firmly bound together.

Holes b3 may, if desired, be made through the webs b2 of the rails, so that the molten metal will flow through them; but this is not essential to the successful construction of a strong durable joint, since if the rail endsare thoroughly cleaned and the joint is carefully made the molten metal will effectively fuse and unite with the rails.

By employing comparatively-thin plates of steel or Wrought-iron and a comparativelylarge volume of molten metal in the construction of the joint said plates are more readily and highly heated and a more perfect and effective fusion is obtained between them and the cast metal. These plates being composed of a tougher more tenacious metal reinforce and strengthen the joint and admit of reducing the size and weightwithout impairing the strength and stability of the joint. As neither the retainingand reinforcing plates nor the molten metal which enters into the construction of the joint pass beneath the base ofthe rail, the elevation of the rail ends and the cutting away of the ties next to the joints are avoided, and considerable saving of time, labor, and material is thus effected.

I do not claim herein the method or process of making the rail-joint herein shown and described, such method or process being claimed in application Serial No. 732,052, led September 29, 1899, of which this is a division.

I claiml. A rail-joint composed of metal plates ar ranged on opposite sides of opposing rail ends with spaces between them open above and below, and cast metal fused with and uniting said 'rail ends and plates, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A rail-joint composed of metal plates eX- tending downward on opposite" sides of opposing rail ends approximately to the bottom of their base-flanges and forming therewith cavities or receptacles which are open at the top, and cast metal filling said cavities or receptacles and fused With and permanently uniting 'said rail ends and plates, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.y

3.. A rail-joint composed of metal plates arranged on opposite sides of opposing rail ends and forming therewith cavities or receptacles which are open at the top, and cast metal filling said cavities or receptacles and fused with and permanently uniting said rail ends and plates, substantially as and for the pur.- poses set forth.

In witness whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMERY M. MCVICKER.

Witnesses:

A. B. BRIGGs, CHAs. L. Goss. 

